he was a senior member serving his home state of hawaii for half a century. members of congress stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the memorial thursday bowing their heads to honor their colleague as he lay in the capital rotunda. friday, they came together for a somber recollection of a man who represented an era long gone. president obama delivered the eulogy remembering the senator's key role in the investigation of the watergate scandal. >> as i watched those hearings watching him ask those piercing questions night after night, i learned how our democracy was supposed to work. our government of and by and for the people. we have a system of government where nobody is above the law. where we have an obligation to hold each other accountable. >> president obama was not only honoring a public servant who inspired him personally, but paying homage to a past or a functional one. a past that is a flash in the rear-view mirror of this congress because this is the congress of today. >> as you know, the house did not take up the tax bill last night because we didn't ha